Ice-rut remover for vehicles



L. E. BYEERS.

ICE RUT REMOVER FOB VEHICLES. APPLICATION HLED'APR. 17. 1920.

Patentd June 13, 1922;

, imwgsm WiTmEss ICE-BUT REIVIOVER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13., 19255 Application filed April. 17, 1928. Serial No. 374,556.

To all whom 2'26 may concern:

lie it known that 1, Louis E. linens, a citizen oi the United States, and residing in the borough of ll ilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State oi Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new, useful, and Improved lee-Rut Removers tor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

lily invention consists in a new and improved device to be applied to the wheels of vehicles tor the purpose of clearing the streets and highways from ice.

During cold winter weather the roadways tend to become thickly incrusted with ice, frequently the result of the partial melting and subsequent freezing of the snow fall, and in this ice deep ruts are tormed which are very destructive to tires and from which vehicles can turn out only with the greatest ditiiculty. Also, vehicles crossing the ruts at an angle, as at cross streets, are subjected to re J h treatment, breaking springs etc. Such conditions frequently last for months, greatly impeding trathc, and causing great damage to power driven vehicles.

The object I have in view is the provision 0t inexpensive, yet positively and automatically acting means for cutting away the ice crust by enlarging, or shaving down the walls of, the ruts.

For this purpose, I attach to the outer face of the vehicle wheels a metal disk with a relatively sharp perimeter but of somewhat less diameter than the eiiectual diameter of the wheel, said disk being spaced away from the surface ot the wheel. Thus, as the wheels revolve while traveling in the ice ruts, said disks will be continually shaving 0E the ice at the side of the ruts, thus enlarging and widening the ruts and breaking the ice up into small, loose particles. The result is that the ruts are rapidly widened until in a relatively short space of time the roadway will be substantially cleared.

l? or the sake of convenience I make the disks quickly attachable and detachable, so that the disks may be quickly put on when needed and then, when their use is no longer required, removed. Thus, the disks could be kept on hand by the street department of a municipality, and issued to truck owners when the streets become icy and rutted.

Other novel features of construction and arrangements of parts will appear from the following description.

in the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a rear view oi a motor vehicle whose driving wheels are supplied with my improved ice cutters; Fig. 2 is an outside view of one of the wheels with the cutter attached; Fig. 3 shows the cutter detached; Fig. l is enlarged detail showing the preferred method of attaching the cutter to the wheel and Fig. 5 is a perspective of one oi the spacer blocks which I prefer to use to properly position the disk in relation to the wheel. 7

The following is a detailed description oi my invention. as the same is illustrated in the drawings.

A represents the driving wheels of a vehicle B, the wheels being shown as travelling in ruts l of an ice covered roadway. C represents the ice cutters which are shown as metal plates or disks having circular perimeters but of less diameter than the effectual diameter of the wheel. Said disks have central openings 2 access to the hubs of the wheels A when the disks are in place. Said disks are provided with relatively sharp perimetral edges 3, which may best be formed by double bevelling the edge of the disks.

The disks are spaced away from the wheels for a. considerable distance so as to clear the outside plane of the tires by, say, from two to four inches.

1 find it more convenient to attach the disks to the wheel spokes, and provide attachment means which will permit the disks to be quickly put on or taken off, and which will not require holes to be bored in the wheel. Of course any desired method oi attachment to the wheels may be used, but I prefer to secure the disks to the spokes.

Thus, I provide the spacer blocks D preterably of wood, one of whose ends is squared to bear solidly against the inner face of the disk C, while its other end is rounded out to fit snugly against the wheel spoke a. 5 represents stirrup bolts whose loops pass around the spokes and whose threaded ends protrude out through holes 6 in the disk. Nuts 7 are then screwed up on the ends of the bolts against the outer face of the disk. The edges oi the blocks D are preferably grooved 0r hollowed as at 8 to receive the legs of the bolts, thus enabling the bolts to hold the blocks against displacement.

Thus it is evident that the disks may be quickly put on and taken oil, and when in place are held rigidly in position.

The disks Will, as has already been exot sutiicient diameter to permit tree plained act to shave and cut away the ice at the sides of the rats, but will not themselves come into contact with the permanent road surface, being of less diameter than the wheels.

It is evidentthat my disks will quickly re duce the deep narrow ice rate now so characteristic of the roadways in winter, and will thus greatly facilitate traflic and materially reduce the repair bills of vehicle owners.

What I desire to claim is:

1. An ice cutter of the character described consisting of a metal plate having a substantially uninterrupted annular cutting edge, and means for mounting said plate on the outside of a vehicle wheel, said plate being of less diameter than the effectual diameter of the wheel to prevent the perimeter of said plate contacting with the permanent road surface, for the purpose described.

2. An ice cutter of the character described consisting of a metal plate having a substantially uninterrupted annular cutting edge, and means for mounting said plate on the outside of a vehicle wheel and spaced away tierctrom. said plate being of less diameter than the etl'ectual diameter of the wheel to prevent the perimeter o'l said plate contacting with the permanent road surface, for the purpose described.

For use in combination with a vehicle wheel, an ice cutter consisting of a metal plate having an annular perimetral substantially uninterrupted cutting edge, and means extending horizontally from said wheel for supporting the said plate in axial alinement with said wheel and spaced outwardly therefrom, substantially as described.

41-. For use in combination with a vehicle wheel, an ice cutter consisting of a metal plate having an annular perimetral substantially uninterrupted cutting edge, and horizontally disposed supporting members extending from the wheel. and to the outer ends of which said plate is secured in spaced relation to said wheel and in axial alinement therewith.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Pa, this 14th day of April, 1920.

LOUIS E. BEERS. 

